Send in the Mussels?

The
North Carolina State Senate is debating a repeal of nutrient management
rules for the Neuse, Tar- Pamlico, Falls Lake and Jordan Lake
watersheds. Proponents of the repeal say that the rules are too
burdensome to developers, and want new guidelines based on new research.

Under
the federal Clean Water Act, the state is required to clean up Falls
and Jordan Lakes, which provide drinking water for more than 700,000
residents. The lakes often exceed state standards for chlorophyll, which
promotes algal blooms.

The plan under consideration by
Senate Republicans would set aside $500,000 for the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill to study new nutrient management strategies,
and $500,000 for the Wildlife Resources Commission to assess whether
freshwater mussel species could help mitigate pollution in Jordan and
Falls lakes.

Senator Mike Woodard, a Democrat from
Durham County, opposes the repeal, saying, “You want another Flint,
Michigan situation? It’s not just coal ash that could be in our water
now. It’s all the algae and all the things that nitrogen produces in
Jordan Lake.”

In many ways, we are fortunate that, in our chosen profession, we are able to help people when certain disasters occur: the tornadoes in Missouri, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Georgia, the flooding in Louisiana, the snows in the northeastern part of the country, the rain in California, and the snow in Colorado....

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